Yesterday, I had the pleasure of watching the English defeat the Spanish. Whenever two football giants clash, the world notices, and this was one such match. Designated an International “Friendly”(more on that oxymoron later) the two teams met at the new-look Wembley Stadium in London in front of close to 80,000 pro-English fans.
The two sides featured many of the best each country has to offer. From England’s perspective, they were missing the experience of Gerrard, goal-scoring ability of Rooney, shut-down centre back John Terry and the young phenom from Arsenal, Jack Wilshere. Certainly, Fabio Capello must feel confident in his side considering the casualties that were not fit to play yesterday.
The first twenty minutes of the match yesterday saw much of the play dominated by Spain, and their typical tick-tack-toe passing style. Wait, I meant their “tick-tack-toe and then repeat until the other team become disoriented” style. They certainly looked their old championship self. That said, England did not surrender, and their full-back and midfielders played honourably. The Jagielka-Jones-Cole-Lescott combination in the bacsk did their duty well, keeping Iniesta, Xavi, Fabregas, David Villa et al at a distance for most of the match.
Only a few minutes into the second half, James Milner floated a free kick into the box, finding the forehead of Darren Bent. Bent’s shot hit the post, but Frank Lampard, wearing the captain’s band for the match, seized the opportunity and knocked it home with his head, giving the home side a 1-nil lead.
The visitors mustered a good attack, highlighted by several chances by former Arsenal mid Cesc Fabregas, and career Spanish scoring champion David Villa, but the English defenders stood strong, continuously repelling their attempts.
In the end, England were victorious thanks to a complete team effort. The defenders played well as a group, which is very encouraging, and the mids provided the support. What is even more encouraging is that they defended without the likes of Terry in the back and Gerrard and Wilshere in the middle. While the English attack was not spectacular, it was at least efficient, considering Wayne Rooney was not in the line-up.
To throw caution into the mix, I don’t want to sound as if this was a dominant effort. Far from it. Spain was its old self, passing with precision, finding through-balls that didn’t appear as options. It’s just that they couldn’t finish, which is somewhat uncharacteristic.
I usually am not a fan of the “interlull” (I’m a league guy), this game was very much an exception. I repeat, every time two football giants play the world, and me, watch with anticipation.
Welcome to another edition of Phantom Picks! I will attempt to give you the inside track on the teams that are under/over valued throughout the Saturday night lineup. I’m no hero, just trying to make sure you get the best bang for your buck! Lets take a look…
Buffalo @ Boston
This is an interesting game, considering it is a divisional matchup, and both teams have won their last four straight. I also consider these teams to be pretty even, and if situations were reversed I would take Buffalo. But they’re not, and tonight’s matchup has Buffalo on the road after playing at home last night. And has Boston at home, well rested. I’ll take Boston and the measly 1.55 against a tough opponent. But I wouldn’t blame you if you took an equally hot team in Buffalo at 2.00.
Ottawa @ Toronto
This is already game 3 of the battle of Ontario. Both teams having won a game so far. I see Toronto going up 2 games to 1 though, in front of a hometown HNIC crowd. The Sens will battle hard for 2 divisional points, but having played last night, they might not have enough left in the tank. So despite shaky goaltending, I’ll take Toronto at 1.50.
New Jersey @ Washington
This matchup is the second of a home and home series, with Washington taking the first one in Jersey last night. I think Washington wins this one too. They just simply have a better team. I’ll take Washington at 1.40. But if you’re looking for a few long shots tonight, this could be one of them. Never count a team out of a grudge match. They have the second highest odds of the night at 2.30, and could be worth a look.
Pittsburgh @ Carolina
Both of these teams played last night, and as much as it is a battle of attrition, one of these teams is rolling, while the other is playing like an old bar shot (broken down golf cart). The real deal James Neal is hot right now, and so is Malkin. I can’t say the same for Carolina superstar Eric Staal, who has looked out of form since he sidelined his brother Marc from professional hockey. I wonder what Jordan has to say about it? Anyway, just take the pens for a buck sixty-five (1.65), and lets move on.
Dallas @ Detroit
Dallas is on the road for the second time in as many nights. While Detroit had the luxury of staying at home for their back to back. Detroit is hot, having won their last 3, and the odds reflect it (1.50). But Dallas has been solid all year long, and I like them to upset the older Detroit team, on the second of back-to-back nights. I’ll take the road dog (Dallas) here for 2.10.
Winnipeg @ Columbus
This one is as close to a toss-up as you are going to see tonight. Both teams need wins in a bad way, Columbus especially. I think they know this is an ideal matchup for them. And being at home this is a must win for Columbus. So I’ll take the home team for 1.70. Wait, who is the first round draft pick going to be this year? No, never mind, too early. Give me Columbus at 1.70.
Montreal @ Nashville
I always tend to lean towards the home team in cross-conference games, for a number of reasons. But in this case, I also think the home team is the better team. They are similar teams upfront, but the Preds look a lot better on the blue line and in net. Rinne is possibly the best goalie in the league. I’ll take Nashville at 1.65.
Tampa Bay @ St. Louis
Like I said above, I give automatic points to St. Louis. Plus I like their speed, youth, and goaltending. But Tampa is hot right now and I don’t really want to bet against them. Can anybody say 1-3-1? Tampa at 1.65.
Calgary @ Colorado
This is a divisional game against two slumping teams. I don’t like either of them, but I guess Colorado would be the lesser of two evils. They are at home and rested, while Calgary played last night. Colorado at 1.60.
Minnesota @ Los Angeles
Minnesota has stormed up the Northwest division ladder to sit 1 point behind current division leaders Edmonton, with one game in hand. They have been playing great hockey. But I’m not ready to drink the Kool-Aid. I think they are a mediocre team, and I think the Kings are a better one. Give me L.A, and king Kopitar, at 1.65.
Phoenix @ San Jose
If I have to tell you who to pick here, you obviously don’t follow hockey, and in retrospect, shouldn’t be gambling. San Jose at 1.30.
Favorites
Boston
Toronto
Washington
Pittsburgh
Los Angeles
San Jose
Pick ‘ems
Columbus
Nashville
Tampa Bay
Colorado
Long shots
Dallas
OWC (Odds Worth Considering)
Buffalo 2.00
New Jersey 2.30
That’s it for this week. Look for more Phantom picks coming next week. And as always, good luck, and let me know how you did!
Which is exactly what Peter Laviolette and the Flyers said to the Tampa Bay Lightning Wednesday night. The Lightning were using their usual 1-3-1 defensive system (which is a favorite of head coach Guy Boucher). Wherein they line up three players across the red line, making it nearly impossible for the opposing team to stickhandle or pass through the neutral zone. This gives the opposing team the limited option of dumping the puck in, usually resulting in a turnover or an icing. It also has all five players on the ice in a defensive role, which is why none of the Lightning were pressuring the puck on Wednesday, and the Flyers were sitting in their own end, passing the puck back and forth, not being forced to move it.
This went on for almost the entire first period. Tampa’s philosophy; “If you want to score, you have to come down the ice eventually.” Philly’s equally boring philosophy; “We have the puck; if you want it, you’re gonna have to come and get it”. The stalemate provided some of the worst hockey the NHL has ever produced, and had the hometown Lightning fans wanting their money back! No kidding!
There is nothing wrong with playing defensive hockey. It isn’t a novel idea by any means. For instance, most teams looking to protect a lead (especially late in the game) will abandon the fore-check for a more defensive style of hockey. However, the “trap”, “neutral zone trap”, left-wing lock”, “1-3-1” or whichever variation you want to use, is a game plan and style of play initiated right from the opening face-off. Guy Boucher implemented this system, relying strictly on turnovers and counterattacking for offense. It was made famous by Jacques Lemaire, coach the New Jersey Devils, throughout the 90’s. The “trap” was a major turn-off for fans, as they were forced to endure low scoring, low intensity games. During the lockout in 2005, the league sought to disrupt or remove the trap. They decided to remove the two-line pass, and took clutching and grabbing out of the game. The changes did work, as the NHL saw an increase in scoring again. However, coaches like Guy Boucher will always find a way to bring the trap back. Which is why it will be a major topic of discussion at the upcoming General Managers’ meeting next week.
So if you were in that room next week, what would be your stance? Would you be against the team sitting back playing the trap, and not pushing the pace of the game? Or would you be against the team that sits in their own end playing with the puck, not willing to move it forward? Or do you think there is nothing wrong with what either team was doing, because they were both doing what was in their best interest?
And what solution would you propose?
I have heard a few suggestions from people who are against what the Flyers did (not advancing the puck out of their end). Things like; A zone timer, a shot clock, or a delay of game penalty. A zone timer would give the team a certain amount of time, in which they would have to advance the puck beyond their own blue line, or they would incur a penalty. A shot clock, like in the NBA, would also give the team a certain amount of time to get a shot on net, or again, they would incur a penalty. Obviously a delay of game penalty would be just that, a penalty for not advancing the play.
Those who are against the way the Lightning played, seem to be in the larger majority. And that seems to be across the board, from players, to GM’s, to fans. However, the only suggestion I’ve heard so far is to instate a rule banning the use of any form of the trap, which I guess would fall under the referees’ discretion, and most likely result in a bench minor penalty.
Finally, for those who are in the middle and think neither team was at fault, and that nothing should be looked at or changed, I’m going to have to strongly disagree. This is a major problem, and it does have to be looked at. You can’t have two teams standing there looking at each other for 60 minutes, both claiming a point. First of all, every team would want to do it, which would have every team finishing with well over 100 points. Second of all, nobody would care. Nobody would be in the stands, and nobody would be watching it on TV. I don’t want to watch two UFC fighters get in the ring and stare at each other. And I don’t want to see two hockey teams skate circles in their own end. Lets make the appropriate changes and get on with the game!
With the Canadian Football League season finishing last week, the Division Semi-Finals are set and here are my predictions on who will be advancing to the Division Finals next week.
Hamilton Tiger Cats at Montreal Alouettes
As a diehard Ticat fan I found it difficult to come to terms with the fact that the team has little chance at beating the Als in a jam-packed Stade Olympique this Sunday. The Cats have not been prepared at all for their last two regular season games, have come out very flat as a result and lost to two very beatable teams that aren’t in the playoffs. The Alouettes will be looking to re-establish themselves after being annihilated 45-1 by BC last week. Montreal has the edge on experience in being in situations like this. With Hamilton’s unstable quarterback starting situation and the Als having veteran quarterback Anthony Cavillo in tough situations, Montreal has the edge, I feel will win 30-17 and play Winnipeg in the East Final next week. Look for this to be Marcel Bellefeuille’s last game as Hamilton Tiger Cat Head Coach.
Calgary Stampeders at Edmonton Eskimos
Out West the Calgary Stampeders play their Albertan arch-rivals from Edmonton. Both teams are riding high into the playoffs and are coming off victories in the last week of the season. I feel the veteran leadership of Ricky Ray and company with running back Jerome Messam will out-last the feel-good story of upcoming Stampeders quarterback Drew Tate. Calgary has running back questions, which doesn’t help their situation. Look for Edmonton to win a close one, 24-21. This also may be Henry Burris’ last game as a Stampeder.
The world’s oldest hockey stick could fetch more than $1 million.
What would you do if you owned the world’s oldest hockey stick? Would you hang it on your wall? That’s what George Ferneough did. He hung it on the wall of his barber shop. Would you use it? Well it is said to have been used over 170 years ago, made for W.M. Moffatt. Or would you sell it? Mr. Ferneough did that too; he sold it for $1000 to a man named Mark Presley. That was before either of them knew just how old, and valuable, the stick was.
Imagine being George Ferneough. How was he to know what he had in his barber shop? It doesn’t look quite as impressive as its story is. Mark Presley took a gamble, and then began to investigate the stick’s origins. The maple used to carve the stick luckily had a knot on the butt end of the shaft. Ideal for dating analysis because of the rings showing, it was dated back to the 1830’s. That was also the time that young W.M. Moffatt was growing up. The analysis also detected four types of paint common from eras long since past.
Mr. Presley found that he had purchased something special indeed. No stick has ever been found that proves to be as old as this one. He is opting to go with sell rather than use or display the stick. I think I might choose the same considering it could sell for over 2 million dollars. Not a bad investment for this 41-year-old Nova Scotia native. This chunk of maple is going to be sought after by collectors willing to pay crazy dollars for a splinter of Canadian sports history. Just for a basis of comparison, a similar stick was sold in 2006 for 2.1 million. That stick is about 150 years old.
Personally I would like to see the stick end up in a museum. It belongs somewhere where it can be seen by hockey fans from all over the country, and world. It’s hard to imagine what hockey would have been like so long ago. It is a piece of Canadian Heritage, but it is even older than Canada itself. That’s what makes the stick so precious, seeing it is like looking back in time.
The card might not have been stacked with the top fighters in the UFC, but why complain? It was free… and for a free card it was action-packed the whole ride! It has been my experience in watching MMA over the years, that often those events that appear to have a weak line-up end up being the best to watch. You often get young hungry guys out there who want to make a name for themselves – and they are desperate to do so. Dana White has never been discreet about his love for fighters who put on exciting fights, and many of the young guns are happy to oblige.
I liken these types of events to watching the NCAA Basketball Championships. You don’t have guys out there who are playing for the sake of playing – with a sense of entitlement. You have guys out there who want to get noticed, and show the world during their moment – potentially the only moment they will ever have in the spotlight -to show that they deserve to be there.
Usually a card like this will be headlined with a couple well-knowns. This is done as bait, to attract the less hardcore MMA fans, and get them to watch these lesser knowns and fodder their interest. In this case, Chris Leben and Mark Munoz were given top billing. Leben is a perpetual grinder, and Munoz has been on the rise for a while now. Anyone who has seen either of these guys in the cage knew they were in for a war. In this case the main card was a constant back and forth battle, with Munoz getting the better of the exchanges and the ground game – which eventually led to a between round stoppage.
Despite a great main fight, what really made this event so much fun to watch was the performance of the young stars: Terry Etim, Che Mills, Renan Pegado and Anthony Perosh. Each of these fighters put on a display that will help them to achieve their goal – stardom. The only question is, for those who do eventually reach higher teir in the organization – will they still fight for glory or a paycheque? Only time will tell.
On July 1st of this year the big news around the NHL was that Jaromir Jagr was returning to the league as a Philadelphia Flyer. I remember what I was thinking that day. Here comes another hyped-up comeback that goes sour fast. Yeah, he was the best player in the league for a while but he’s 39 years old and apparently is 240lbs. Not the best combination if you plan on lighting it up and turning heads.
Naturally, preparing for this years numerous pools I looked up his stats in the KHL. While it would seem impressive, posting around a point per game over three seasons, it is not NHL. Even when he last played as a Ranger he had a pattern of deteriorating point production. In four drafts I couldn’t help but smile when he was drafted, in my opinion, a little early. I had even considered writing a blog about how he would be surely over valued on draft day in your fantasy pools, with warnings to avoid him like the plague. I must confess that it looks like I was showing a lack of respect to the lethal skill the mullet posseses.
No, he’s not the fastest guy on the ice but it’s still impossible to get the puck off of him. He can find the holes and open ice, pick the corners and make great passes. He has enough youth around him that the lack of speed and energy doesn’t seem to matter as much, and Philly doesn’t need to play him over 20 minutes a game. In fact he’s only broke 20 once. The Flyers bought him for the powerplay, and as a mentor, and the move is definitely paying dividends already. Jagr is one of the hottest players in the league right now with 11 points in his last 7 games. The only question in my mind is if he can keep up the pace for the whole 82 game season. A player of his age and size can have endurance problems as the year progresses.
So far he shows only signs of improvement rather than fatigue. Maybe he can show us all that we should never have forgotten about the wonders he achieved during his time in the NHL. He sits 9th upon the all-time NHL point leaders list. Could he overtake Sakic, Lemieux and Yzerman? If he plays after this season he surely could. Maybe he will show us that he’s back to add some more trophies and rings to his collection. Whatever is to come, Jaromir has my attention now. The skill still shows, and the show must go on.
The Tar Heels may have cause to celebrate come March. (image via desrunyan, Flickr)
“Misery loves company.” – Proverb
When my wife and I first started dating, one of the first things I warned her about was that I disappear in March.
The days after Selection Sunday are spent agonizing over my brackets, wondering why I am picking VCU to make it to the Sweet Sixteen. The first weekend, I watch with pain as my brackets disintegrate before my eyes and spend the rest of the month swearing that next year will be different. The remainder of the month is spent glued to the TV, for any and all scraps of information about my beloved Tar Heels and who they are playing. This happens every year. For all of March.
I have since dragged my wife into this little crazy world of mine – you might say “Madness”… no? Too soon? – and she hitched her wagon to the Ohio State Buckeyes a few years ago. She picked them the year they lost to Florida in the National Championship (2007). Two years before they had some schmuck named Evan Turner become the AP Player of the Year. And three years before they has consecutive #1 seeds in the tournament.
March Madness and the pains of watching it all fall apart, is now a family affair. Misery loves company.
The Preseason Polls
The season begins this week: the weekly polls; the “pffft, their non-conference schedule is too easy” arguments; the “how did they lose to THEM!?” debates; arguments over who has the hardest conference; and of course: how Coach K has taken a group of misfits and somehow turned them into a contender.
The first polls are out – aptly labeled the “Preseason Poll”- and my Tar Heels are sitting where they belong, at #1.
Rank
School
Points
1
North Carolina (62)
1,620
2
Kentucky
1,501
3
Ohio State (1)
1,482
4
Connecticut (2)
1,433
5
Syracuse
1,338
6
Duke
1,301
7
Vanderbilt
1,120
8
Florida
1,086
9
Louisville
1,055
10
Pittsburgh
1,027
11
Memphis
997
12
Baylor
892
13
Kansas
755
14
Xavier
747
15
Wisconsin
720
16
Arizona
616
17
UCLA
404
18
Michigan
401
19
Alabama
395
20
Texas A&M
357
21
Cincinnati
353
22
Marquette
335
23
Gonzaga
283
24
California
230
25
Missouri
139
First place votes in parentheses.
For those new to the polls, the Associated Press poll is the de-facto standard. The AP Poll is run across football and basketball and Wikipedia provides a quick explanation of its system: “The rankings are compiled by polling sportswriters across the [United States]. Each voter provides his own ranking of the top 25 teams, and the individual rankings are then combined to produce the national ranking by giving a team 25 points for a first place vote, 24 for a second place vote, and so on down to 1 point for a twenty-fifth place vote.”
The Big Conferences
ACC
With six returning players, including potential National Player of the Year Harrison Barnes, North Carolina (1) looks to be the team to beat in the ACC. Although they started slow last year – they actually fell out of the Top 25 for a few months – Kendall Marshall is now given a full season as the starting point guard for the Heels, a change that last year marked their turning point. Duke (6), as always, will be a contender, simply because of the man at the helm. A friend once told me that “you could give Coach K a band of clowns and he will turn them into a Final Four team” and as much as I bleed UNC blue, after watching NCAA basketball for the last decade, I have to admit this is true. It looks to be a UNC-Duke kinda year in the ACC, with a few quality games from Florida State, Virginia Tech and NC State. Ok, not NC State. Just seeing if you’re paying attention.
Big East
Shaping up to be the hardest conference in the country, the Big East sports six teams in the preseason top 25: UConn (4), Syracuse (5), Louisville (9), Pittsburgh (10), Cincinnati (21) and Marquette (22). Not to diminish quality teams like Villanova, Georgetown and Notre Dame, this conference rightfully has defending National Champion UConn at its top. In case you forget, UConn made a huge run last March as a #6 seed, one which blew up many Madness brackets. (In the eleven years I have run a March Madness pool, this is only the second time that out of 100+ brackets, no one picked the eventual Champion). It would not be surprising to see two or even three Final Four teams come out of this conference and maybe even the 2012 National Champion.
Big 12
Always a competitive conference, this year the top contenders looks to be the emerging powerhouses, pushing out the traditional ones. Top preseason seed Baylor (12) looks to be the team to beat, but with a rejuvenated Texas A&M (20) and an always scrappy Missouri (25) team, this conference is really anyone’s to steal. With perpetual powerhouses like Texas, Texas Tech, Oklahoma State and Kansas (13) all a part of the mix, this conference schedule could be one of the most interesting to watch this season.
Big 10
To my wife’s joy, Ohio State (3) is the highest-ranked team in this conference and the clear favourite to win. With four returnees, including the dominant Jared Sullinger, Ohio State will need to either have an off-game or their opponent will need a great one to lose this conference. Although the Big Ten has two others in the Top 25 – Wisconsin (15) and Michigan (18) – the Buckeye veterans from last year’s disappointing tournament run will have the rest of the team hungry for not only a conference championship, but a deeper finish than their Sweet Sixteen exit in 2010.
PAC 12
With three teams in the Top 25 – Arizona (16), UCLA (17) and California (24) – the PAC 12 could be just as interesting or better than the Big 12. With their entire team returning, the Arizona Wildcats look to better their Elite Eight run of 2010, and just have to hope that this time around, they don’t run into a very-hot, eventual national champion. UCLA continues to build on their rich history and looks to be poised to make a run at the conference title this year. Come January, this will be one exciting conference to watch.
Projected Major Conference Winners
ACC: North Carolina
Big East: Pittsburgh Big 12: Baylor Big 10: Ohio State Pac 12: Arizona
Projected Final Four
East Bracket: North Carolina West Bracket: Ohio State Midwest Bracket: Kentucky South Bracket: Pittsburgh
Projected National Champion
North Carolina over Pittsburgh
The thing I love about NCAA Basketball is that I know some, if not all, of the above will be wrong. Someone will choke in their conference tournament. A projected star will be no better than me in my Monday night Rec league. A #1 seed will get upset in the brackets. And of course, my fearless predictions will all come crashing down. And somehow, my wife’s Buckeyes will get the better of my Tar Heels. It never fails.
These last few years have been tough on Brodeur, his Devils were abysmal last year, and it was probably the worst season of his career. His early season 900 save percentage didn’t help as the Devils basically were out of playoff contention by December, and for the first time in over a decade they missed the playoffs. In the 2010 Olympics he started as Canada’s #1 Goalie but was replaced by Roberto Luongo. In 2008-09 he spent much of the season injured with one of the few major injuries of his career. Since the NHL lockout he has not been experiencing the same playoff success that was such a trademark of his pre-lockout days. Some good regular seasons have been in there, but the devils have been victims of first round losses, many of those involving guys like Cam Ward, Henrik Lundqvist, and Marty Biron, outplaying Brodeur.
As I watched the Devils game against the Leafs on Wednesday, I saw a goalie who is a shadow of his former self. He shows flashes (see the incredible save on Kessel), but its just that now, flashes. He can remind us of the old Brodeur, but the fact is that if you watch him for long stretches, he’s not the brilliant guy we remember. The reflexes are slower, more pucks find holes, and he just isn’t leading his team the same way as he used to.
Sure some might say, he’s Marty Brodeur, and he’s still one of the best 30 goalies in the world, and deserves to be an NHL starter. Thats probably true. He’s still one of the 30 best goalies in the league, but for Marty; thats not good enough IMO. Brodeur was a star, an elite goalie. A guy who was the world’s best goalie for a long time, and never outside the top 3. Being just an average to below average NHL starter isn’t good enough. Thats not the way he should go out, and thats not the way this sure fire 1st ballot Hall of Famer should be remembered.
So Marty, for the good of your legacy, for the good of your fans, for the good of the league, its time. Take your victory lap now, let us know this is your last year…. get your standing ovation in nearly every rink in the NHL (Philly and MSG might be tough) but let us salute you and give you a farewell party to remember. But please, retire now, before your skill goes even further and you end up as the backup of the Devils. No one wants to see you hang around for 2 or 3 more years and see you go out that way.
